The present invention relates to a dispensing means for use in a vending machine for selectively dispensing containers having a circular cross sectional shape.
Vending machines are in common usage throughout the world and generally include a plurality of parallel upright vending channels in which are stored a plurality of soft drink containers having a circular cross-section. The vending channels can be in fluid communication with a refrigeration system to allow refrigerated air to circulate and cool the soft drink containers. Various forms of dispensing means are located at the lower end of each channel which allow for single dispensing of the required soft drink following payment and selection.
In the vending industry it is usual for a vending machine to be particularly constructed for one configuration of vending channels and with particular allocated dispensing means limited to dispense containers only from a predetermined vending channel. The dispensing means must be purpose built therefore not allowing for easy and cost effective retrofitting of a plurality of dispensing means. Access to the dispensing means for service of various parts of the vending machine, is generally limited and requires the vending machine to be out of operation for a considerable time. As vending machines are usually refrigerated, the machine is not commercially useable until expiration of a further down time in which the containers must be sufficiently refrigerated following completion of the service or repair of the vending machine. Another problem of known vending machines is the need for a plurality of vending channels to be able to hold different quantities of different types of soft drinks so that a large quantity of the most popular soft drink is available while still allowing smaller quantities of the less popular soft drinks. Also vending machines generally cannot cater for a range of sizes of containers.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a vending machine that overcomes or ameliorates one or more of the above problems by providing more flexibility and accessibility of a vending machine and its components.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a vending machine with an improved dispensing means.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a dispensing means which is located below a plurality of vending channels defined by spaced upright walls with the containers to be dispensed lying within the vending channels, the dispensing means including a plurality of releasing mechanisms located adjacent each other and able to be separately or jointly controlled so that the vending channels can be divided into defined portions to receive different sized containers or different content containers and the required separate or adjacent releasing mechanisms can be activated to dispense the required container from the defined portion of the vending channel.
In one form there is a separate dispensing means which is able to be located below a plurality of vending channels defined by spaced upright walls with the containers to be dispensed lying within the vending channels, the dispensing means including a plurality of releasing mechanisms which allow dispensing from one vending channel or portion and able to be controlled externally of the dispensing means. The separate dispensing means includes a bank of releasing mechanisms mounted on a carrier that is separably removable from the dispensing means. In one form of the invention the dispensing means includes a plurality of releasing mechanisms located adjacent each other and able to be separably or coactively controlled so that a vending channel can be divided into longitudinal portions to receive different sized containers and the required separate or adjacent releasing mechanisms can be activated to dispense the required container from the allocated portion of the vending channel. The plurality of adjacent releasing mechanisms which are able to dispense from different longitudinal portions of a vending channel are mounted on a carrier which is separably removable from the dispensing means.
In one form of the invention there is provided a dispensing means having a plurality of releasing mechanisms able to be activated by respective solenoids which are controllable externally of the dispensing means.
In another form of the invention, there is provided a dispensing means having a plurality of manual releasing mechanisms which are operable by a linear drive means mounted adjacent a plurality of releasing mechanisms and including a linear track and a solenoid bank able to travel along the linear track and engage a selected one or more of the releasing mechanisms to cause a container to be released from a selected vending channel or portion.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a vending machine having a dispensing means located below a plurality of vending channels defined by spaced upright walls with the containers to be dispensed lying within the vending channels, the dispensing means including a plurality of releasing mechanisms located adjacent each other and able to be separately or coactively controlled so that the vending channels can be divided into defined portions to receive different sized containers or different content containers and the required separate or adjacent releasing mechanisms can be activated to dispense the required container from the allocated defined portion of the vending channels. The dispensing means can include a bank of releasing mechanisms mounted on a carrier which is separately removable from the dispensing means. The dispensing means includes a plurality of releasing mechanisms located adjacent each other and able to be separably or coactively controlled so that a vending channel can be divided into defined portions to receive different sized containers or different content containers and the required separate or adjacent releasing mechanisms can be activated to dispense the required container from the allocated portion of the vending channel. The plurality of adjacent releasing mechanisms able to dispense from different defined portions of a vending channel is mounted on a carrier which is separably removable from the dispensing means.
In one form of the invention there is provided a vending machine having a plurality of releasing mechanisms which are each able to be activated by respective solenoids and controllable externally of the dispensing means.
In another form of the invention, there is provided a vending machine having a plurality of manually releasing mechanisms which are operable by a linear drive means mounted adjacent a plurality of the manually releasing mechanisms and including a linear track and a solenoid bank able to travel along the linear track and engage a selected one or more of the releasing mechanisms to cause a container to be released from a selected vending channel or portion.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a dispensing means which is separate and insertable into a vending machine or integral with a vending machine, for individually dispensing circular cross sectional containers from a staggered stack of containers held in a vending channel in a vending machine, the vending channel having an escape opening at one end, the dispensing means having a releasing mechanism locatable adjacent the escape opening of the vending channel in the vending machine and including a rocking body located in the path of the staggered stack escaping the vending channel and which in one state in combination with a drop chute below or extending from at or near the bottom of the vending channel engages the lowest container and prevents dispensing of the lowest container and in a second state allows movement of the rocking body to dispense the lowest container and return to the first state to prevent the next lowest container from being dispensed.
The rocking body can be latchable, and having an abutting arm and a cradling arm, the rocking body pivotally mounted such that in the first state the rocking body is latched so that the abutting arm is positioned at a distance from the end of the drop chute smaller than the circular cross section of the containers being dispensed so that the lowest container is prevented from being dispensed while in a second state the rocking body is unlatched and pivotally rotates the abutting arm away from the end of the drop chute so as to allow the lowest container to fall to the cradling arm and be dispensed and such that the action of dispensing forces the rocking body to rotate pivotally and return the abutting arm to the first state having a distance from the end of the drop chute less than the cross sectional size of the containers to prevent the next lowest container being dispensed.
The dispensing means includes a plurality of drop chutes and rocking bodies linearly mounted adjacent each other and separately or in combination able to be controlled so as to allow dispensing of various sizes and lengths of containers or to allow separate dispensing of containers from various portions of vending channels located adjacent each other. The separate or combined operation of the rocking bodies is by electronic means, electrical means, mechanical means, or a combination.
In one form of the invention the rocking body includes a solenoid providing the required latch mechanism.
The dispensing means includes a plurality of drop chutes and rocking bodies able to be located below vending channels of a vending machine and allowing dispensing from a selected one or portion of laterally arranged adjacent vending channels. A linear drive system can be included which extends across a plurality of laterally arranged rocking bodies and includes a bank of one or more solenoids that can be transported along a linear track to a position to activate selected rocking bodies so as to dispense the required container from a vending channel or portion.